The team that averaged under eight wins a season for the past five years pulled away for a 70-56 win over Ball State in Saturday’s regular-season finale, upping its win total to 14, the most since the 2005-06 team went 17-11.

Though head coach Mark Montgomery knows his squad has a lot more room to grow, he believes the transformation has begun, and he has seen the “culture change” at NIU.

“It had to start somewhere, and I do see us turning the page this year,” Montgomery said. “When you see that we’re in just about every game, and we’re learning how to pull out some of the close ones, it’s clear to see it’s a new time for NIU basketball.”

Even before the Huskies used a 12-2 second-half run to put Ball State away Saturday they were already assured of hosting a Mid-American Conference Tournament game for the first time since 2003. Kent State’s loss on Friday night locked NIU (14-16) into the seventh seed, and it will take on Bowling Green at 7 p.m. Monday inside the Convocation Center.

The last time they earned a postseason home game the Huskies defeated Buffalo in the opening round of the 2003 MAC Tournament, 81-64, and advanced to the semifinals. That was as far as they got.

This year’s team leads the league in rebounding margin (+4.8) and is No. 35 in the country in scoring defense, allowing 63.4 points per game. The Huskies put together a three-game win streak in early February for the first time in five years, and when they knocked off Toledo 74-66 last week it was the first win over a team in the top 50 in RPI since the 1999-2000 season.

“This hasn’t happened overnight. We’ve come together in a lot of ways, but it took awhile,” said the Huskies 6-foot-9 junior center Jordan Threloff, a DeKalb native who was a ball boy for the Huskies back in third grade. “I’ve seen NIU basketball grow a lot this year. We’re still rebuilding, but we’re getting a lot better, and we’re learning how to win again.”

Threloff was averaging 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds a game headed into Saturday’s matchup, and he was one of seven Huskies scoring at a rate of 6.6 points per game or more. This year’s balanced team, which is led by Dontell Highsmith’s 10.5 points per game, has had six players lead the team in scoring at different times this season.

Page 2 of 2 - And right now, they are setting their sights high.

“This team is just hungry right now – we’re hungry for more wins,” said sophomore point guard Travon Baker, who is averaging 8.9 points and leads the team with 71 assists. “We’ve elevated this program to a new level, and we’re trying to keep it climbing.

“We want there to be a buzz about NIU basketball, and we’re not far off.”

Montgomery agrees, and he feels even stronger about the team’s chances to make a big leap up next year. Two impact transfer players, including former Purdue point guard Anthony Johnson, have been practicing with the team all season, and this year’s team has just two seniors on the roster.

But before they can focus on next year, the Huskies have a little more work to do this season.

“Our No. 1 goal was to host a MAC tourney game, and that’s a big one for us,” Montgomery said. “We definitely want more, though. A better record, more postseason wins. We’re not at the top yet, so we’re not relaxing.

“We’re getting better. And right now, we’re one step closer to where we want to be.”

Women take to road

The NIU women’s basketball team earned its final win of the regular season Saturday afternoon as it defeated Western Michigan on Senior Day, 59-51. Freshman Ally Lehman led the Huskies with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

While the Huskies earned victory, Eastern Michigan earned the upset victory of the Mid-American Conference season as it defeated in-state foe Central Michigan in overtime, 99-85. NIU will now be the No. 9 seed in MAC Tournament, heading to No. 8 seed EMU for a Monday evening matchup with the Eagles. Tipoff between is set for 4 p.m.